Popular Post CRAZY_4_NAZZY Posted June 29, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2023 (edited) https://thehockeywriters.com/hunter-brzustewicz-2023-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/ 2022-23 Team: Kitchener Rangers (OHL) Date of Birth: Nov. 29, 2004 Place of Birth: Washington, MI Ht: 6-foot-0 Wt: 187 pounds Shoots: Right Position: Defense NHL Draft Eligibility: 2023 first-year eligible Rankings NHL Central Scouting: 33rd (amongst NA skaters)FC Hockey: 45thTSN/Bob McKenzie: 44thElite Prospects: 44thThe Hockey Writers (Horn): 43rd Every year, there are a couple of players who spend all season ranked in the early-to-mid second round, even though they’re probably a first-round talent. I believe that Hunter Brzustewicz is one of those players. For a draft class that’s as deep as this one appears to be, there’s a bit of a lack of top-end defensive prospects, which makes it more puzzling that Brzustewicz isn’t ranked higher. Hunter Brzustewicz, Kitchener Rangers (Natalie Shaver/OHL Images) Hailing from Washington, Michigan, a suburb about 45 minutes north of Detroit, the 6-foot right-hander wasted no time establishing himself as an offensive-minded defenseman, specifically a master of the first pass. In his age-15 AAA season with the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, he tallied a whopping 96 assists and 111 points through 55 games. His performance earned him a spot with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP). Along with the state of uncertainty that many prospects faced between 2020 and 2022 due to COVID-19, he missed almost the entirety of the 2020-21 season playing in only three games with the USNTDP U17 team. He got a proper shot with the U18 team in 2021-22, totaling 29 points in 80 games. He was originally drafted by the Barrie Colts in the 2020 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) priority selection, but his rights were traded to Kitchener in January 2022. And, when the time came for Brzustewicz to pick an avenue for his draft year, he decided to commit to the Rangers. So far, the decision appears to be paying off for Brzustewicz. He’s currently leading all draft-eligible defensemen with 57 points in 68 games, and sits eighth in the league in scoring among defensemen in general. In what’s been an up-and-down season for the Rangers, who were slow to pick things up after a massive trade deadline, he’s been a consistent source of offense from the blue line all season. Watching Brzustewicz play, he reminds me a lot of a watered-down version of Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar. Now, whoever drafts him should not assume they just drafted a clone of Makar, given the number of accolades he has, but when you watch the way Brzustewicz patrols the blueline on the power play, there are some striking similarities in their edgework and the way they’re able to open up space for themselves when their team is running the cycle in the offensive zone. He doesn’t really have one offensive quality that sticks out, but he’s reliable at both ends of the ice and plays the type of mature game that teams look for outside of the first round. Other THW Draft Profiles Etienne Morin Daniil But Colby Barlow Latest News & Highlights Hunter Brzustewicz – NHL Draft Projection Brzustewicz is the perfect prospect for a contending team with a late first-round pick, or for a rebuilding team to pad its prospect pool with. He’s likely going to go somewhere between the late first round and early second round, making him a prime target for teams that fall into either of those categories. If he goes in the second round, he’s got the tools to be a steal, and if a team reaches for him in the first round, we could be looking back at it as a demonstration of good scouting years from now. Quotables “Brzustewicz is the exact type of player a contending team will rush to the podium to draft in the back end of the first round in the 2023 draft. He is a smooth-skating, intelligent right-shot defenseman who is calm under pressure and should be able to play an NHL role sooner than most other defensemen in the class. While he lacks high-end puck skills, a threatening shot, and aggressive transition defensive habits – such as a tight gap – he does a lot of things very well and simplifies the game, which makes him a valuable diffuser of play under forechecking pressure.” – Sebastian High, Dobber Prospects “Passes it like a pro, with pace and accuracy. Can run a PP1 in junior, but will that skill project to the next level?” – Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet “He’s the perfect blend of skill and strength. He’s got a relatively small frame but makes up for it in muscle. One of the more impressive aspects of his game is his ability to use his upper body strength to shake off his opponent, freeing up lanes to break out the puck.” – Ben Jordan, Smaht Scouting Strengths Skating Breakout first pass Agility Defensive Awareness Hockey IQ Under Construction (Improvements to Make) Shot Power Gap Control NHL Potential While it’s hard to see Brzustewicz blossoming into a top-pair defenseman at the NHL level, he has the smarts and enough tools in the toolbox to see him cap out as a second-pair defenseman. If you can draft a top-four defenseman in the second round, you’re laughing, so there’s some great value waiting on the table for whoever announces his name in June. Risk-Reward Analysis Risk 3/5, Reward 3.5/5 Fantasy Hockey Potential Offense – 6/10 Defense 7/10 Awards/Achievements Brzustewicz won a silver medal at the 2022 U18 World Juniors representing Team USA. Edited June 29, 2023 by CRAZY_4_NAZZY 9 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBackup Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 The harder to pronounce a player’s name is, the better he’ll be. Future Norris winner right here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryElf Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 Love this pick, seriously love it. We'll have to start calling him Brzuiser lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Vintage Canuck- Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Warhippy Posted June 29, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2023 I was screaming for this kid in multiple threads back in Janurary when I thought he'd still be a late 1st early 2nd round pick. Love how he processes the game and is an RHD. People will hate this but the same type of game he plays and the same reason he wasnt drafted in the late first are the same reasons and type of game Duncan Keith played in his draft year. While the latter years weren't kind to Duncans records for almost a decade he was one of the best 2 way defencemen in the entire game I love this pick so much and hope they let this kid marinate a bit and develop him right. 7 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Vintage Canuck- Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awalk Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 I traded for him in my NHL 23 franchise. He's good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aqua59 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 7 minutes ago, CRAZY_4_NAZZY said: https://thehockeywriters.com/hunter-brzustewicz-2023-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/ 2022-23 Team: Kitchener Rangers (OHL) Date of Birth: Nov. 29, 2004 Place of Birth: Washington, MI Ht: 6-foot-0 Wt: 187 pounds Shoots: Right Position: Defense NHL Draft Eligibility: 2023 first-year eligible Rankings NHL Central Scouting: 33rd (amongst NA skaters)FC Hockey: 45thTSN/Bob McKenzie: 44thElite Prospects: 44thThe Hockey Writers (Horn): 43rd Every year, there are a couple of players who spend all season ranked in the early-to-mid second round, even though they’re probably a first-round talent. I believe that Hunter Brzustewicz is one of those players. For a draft class that’s as deep as this one appears to be, there’s a bit of a lack of top-end defensive prospects, which makes it more puzzling that Brzustewicz isn’t ranked higher. Hunter Brzustewicz, Kitchener Rangers (Natalie Shaver/OHL Images) Hailing from Washington, Michigan, a suburb about 45 minutes north of Detroit, the 6-foot right-hander wasted no time establishing himself as an offensive-minded defenseman, specifically a master of the first pass. In his age-15 AAA season with the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, he tallied a whopping 96 assists and 111 points through 55 games. His performance earned him a spot with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP). Along with the state of uncertainty that many prospects faced between 2020 and 2022 due to COVID-19, he missed almost the entirety of the 2020-21 season playing in only three games with the USNTDP U17 team. He got a proper shot with the U18 team in 2021-22, totaling 29 points in 80 games. He was originally drafted by the Barrie Colts in the 2020 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) priority selection, but his rights were traded to Kitchener in January 2022. And, when the time came for Brzustewicz to pick an avenue for his draft year, he decided to commit to the Rangers. So far, the decision appears to be paying off for Brzustewicz. He’s currently leading all draft-eligible defensemen with 57 points in 68 games, and sits eighth in the league in scoring among defensemen in general. In what’s been an up-and-down season for the Rangers, who were slow to pick things up after a massive trade deadline, he’s been a consistent source of offense from the blue line all season. Watching Brzustewicz play, he reminds me a lot of a watered-down version of Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar. Now, whoever drafts him should not assume they just drafted a clone of Makar, given the number of accolades he has, but when you watch the way Brzustewicz patrols the blueline on the power play, there are some striking similarities in their edgework and the way they’re able to open up space for themselves when their team is running the cycle in the offensive zone. He doesn’t really have one offensive quality that sticks out, but he’s reliable at both ends of the ice and plays the type of mature game that teams look for outside of the first round. Other THW Draft Profiles Etienne Morin Daniil But Colby Barlow Latest News & Highlights Hunter Brzustewicz – NHL Draft Projection Brzustewicz is the perfect prospect for a contending team with a late first-round pick, or for a rebuilding team to pad its prospect pool with. He’s likely going to go somewhere between the late first round and early second round, making him a prime target for teams that fall into either of those categories. If he goes in the second round, he’s got the tools to be a steal, and if a team reaches for him in the first round, we could be looking back at it as a demonstration of good scouting years from now. Quotables “Brzustewicz is the exact type of player a contending team will rush to the podium to draft in the back end of the first round in the 2023 draft. He is a smooth-skating, intelligent right-shot defenseman who is calm under pressure and should be able to play an NHL role sooner than most other defensemen in the class. While he lacks high-end puck skills, a threatening shot, and aggressive transition defensive habits – such as a tight gap – he does a lot of things very well and simplifies the game, which makes him a valuable diffuser of play under forechecking pressure.” – Sebastian High, Dobber Prospects “Passes it like a pro, with pace and accuracy. Can run a PP1 in junior, but will that skill project to the next level?” – Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet “He’s the perfect blend of skill and strength. He’s got a relatively small frame but makes up for it in muscle. One of the more impressive aspects of his game is his ability to use his upper body strength to shake off his opponent, freeing up lanes to break out the puck.” – Ben Jordan, Smaht Scouting Strengths Skating Breakout first pass Agility Defensive Awareness Hockey IQ Under Construction (Improvements to Make) Shot Power Gap Control NHL Potential While it’s hard to see Brzustewicz blossoming into a top-pair defenseman at the NHL level, he has the smarts and enough tools in the toolbox to see him cap out as a second-pair defenseman. If you can draft a top-four defenseman in the second round, you’re laughing, so there’s some great value waiting on the table for whoever announces his name in June. Risk-Reward Analysis Risk 3/5, Reward 3.5/5 Fantasy Hockey Potential Offense – 6/10 Defense 7/10 Awards/Achievements Brzustewicz won a silver medal at the 2022 U18 World Juniors representing Team USA. this appears to be an excellent building block on a sparce back end. Time will tell:) I like this pick. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Provost Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 (edited) Of course none of us really knows players this low in the draft, but he seems to have fallen and is highly regarded. He also plays the most valuable position, so can't complain about the pick. If he develops well, he could potentially be an all around Hamhuis type guy which is not shabby at all from the 3rd round. We should be hitting at about a 25% rate in the 3rd round, so we need to get some of these players to actually play meaningful minutes. We have hardly found anyone outside the first round in many years. Demko is the only guys on the roster who we drafted outside the 1st round, and he was "just" outside it at 36. Next possible ones are Hoglander (2nd round) and Silovs (6th round). So far it is Ian Clark carrying the load in successfully developing players. Edited June 29, 2023 by Provost 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZY_4_NAZZY Posted June 29, 2023 Author Share Posted June 29, 2023 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post coryberg Posted June 29, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2023 3 minutes ago, awalk said: I traded for him in my NHL 23 franchise. He's good 1 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlwaysACanuckFan Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 (edited) Awesome pick plus another right shot d man Edited June 29, 2023 by AlwaysACanuckFan 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awalk Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 Just now, coryberg said: Of course if I'm wrong.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post -Vintage Canuck- Posted June 29, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2023 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhippy Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 Just now, Provost said: Of course none of us really knows players this low in the draft, but he seems to have fallen and is highly regarded. He also plays the most valuable position, so can't complain about the pick. We should be hitting at about a 25% rate in the 3rd round, so we need to get some of these players to actually play meaningful minutes. We have hardly found anyone outside the first round in many years. Demko is the only guys on the roster who we drafted outside the 1st round, and he was "just" outside it at 36. Next possible ones are Hoglander (2nd round) and Silovs (6th round). So far it is Ian Clark carrying the load in successfully developing players. To my knowledge a lot of the reason he fell was due to lack of games as well as the fact the rangers were one of the most mediocre teams in the OHL to make the playoffs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 Definitely a guy that I didn't think would fall to the 3rd round. Excited for all the shiny new defensemen! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Vintage Canuck- Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlwaysACanuckFan Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 Great pick! Definitely nice to snag a player who was rated this high. Almost like we kept our 2nd rounder. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
250Integra Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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